Container-based data center having greater rack density

ABSTRACT

A container includes first and second long sides parallel to the container&#39;s length. Racks are organized in rows parallel to the container&#39;s width. Each rack is receptive to installation of equipment along a height of the data rack parallel to the container&#39;s height. Openings are defined within the first and/or second long sides of the container. Heat exchangers may be installed, where each exchanger is installed on a rack to cool air exhausted by any equipment installed on this rack. Each row may include as many of the racks positioned side-to-side, length-wise, and parallel to the width of the container as can fit within the container. The racks of each row may be slidable in unison back and forth along the length of the container, between a first position at which the racks block an opening and a second position at which the racks block another opening.

PRIORITY CLAIM

The present patent application is a divisional of the previously filedand presently pending application of the same title, filed on Dec. 28,2009, and assigned Ser. No. 12/647,783.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to container-based data centers,which are data centers that can be implemented using a shippingcontainer. The present invention relates more particularly to suchcontainer-based data centers that have greater rack densities, in thatthe number of racks, and thus the amount of electronic equipment thatcan be installed on such racks, is greater than that provided byexisting container-based data centers.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A data center is a facility used to house computing systems and theirassociated components, such as telecommunications and storage systems. Adata center can include redundant or backup power supplies, redundantdata communications connections, environmental controls, such as airconditioning and fire suppression equipment, as well as securitydevices. A data center may also be referred to as a server farm, becausea data center can house a large number of server computing devices.

Historically data centers have been housed within stationary buildings.For instance, a location having a suitable size, at a suitable place,and that has access to sufficient electrical power may be selected.Thereafter, a building may be built on the location for the purpose ofhousing a data center.

More recently, however, data centers have been increasingly housed inshipping containers. A shipping container is a container that can beplaced on the trailer of a truck, on a cargo car of a train, or on aship. The shipping container of such a container-based data centerincludes all the equipment needed to implement the data center. Theshipping container can thus be built at one location, and thentransported to the location at which the data center is to be used.

After the shipping container reaches its destination, external power anddata communication lines just have to be connected to the data center tobegin using the data center, since all the equipment of the data centerhas already been installed within the container. Container-based datacenters have become popular. This is because they are an easy and fastway by which additional computing capacity can be installed at a givenlocation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A system of an embodiment of the invention includes a container, anumber of racks, and a number of openings. The container has a width, alength, and a height. A first long side and a second long side are bothparallel to the length of the container. The racks are organized in rowsparallel to the width of the container. Each rack is receptive toinstallation of electronic equipment along a height of the rack parallelto the height of the container. The openings are located within thefirst long side and/or the second long side of the container.

A system of another embodiment of the invention includes a container, anumber of racks, a number of heat exchangers, and a number of openings.The container has a width, a length, and a height. A first long side anda second long side are both parallel to the length of the container. Theracks are organized in rows parallel to the width of the container. Eachrack is receptive to installation of electronic equipment along a heightof the rack parallel to the height of the container. Each heat exchangeris installed on one of the racks to cool air exhausted by any electronicequipment installed on the rack in question. The openings are locatedwithin the first long side and/or the second long side of the container.

In a method of an embodiment of the invention, a given opening of anumber of openings within one or more long sides of a container isaccessed. The container has a width, a length, and a height, and thelong sides of the container are parallel to the container's length.After the given opening is accessed, an aisle corresponding to the givenopening is entered. Thereafter racks located to one or more sides of theaisle are accessed. The racks are organized in one or more rows parallelto the width of the container. The racks are receptive to installationof electronic equipment along heights of the racks parallel to theheight of the container.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1 and 2 are diagrams of container-based data centers, according tothe prior art.

FIG. 3 is a diagram of a container-based data center, according to anembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram of the container-based data center of FIG. 3 inwhich rows of racks have been slid relative to their position in FIG. 3,according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram of a perspective view of an exemplary rack that canbe installed in the data center of FIG. 3, according to an embodiment ofthe present invention.

FIG. 6 is a diagram of a respective row of racks of the container-baseddata center of FIG. 3, according to an embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIGS. 7 and 8 are diagrams showing airflow loops within acontainer-based data center, according to embodiments of the presentinvention.

FIG. 9 is a diagram of a container-based data center apart from that ofFIG. 3, according to another embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart of a method of use of a container-based datacenter, according to an embodiment of the invention.

The use of lettered reference numbers herein is not intended to and doesnot imply the quantity of the elements referred to by such letteredreference numbers, but rather just implies the relative ordering of suchelements in relation to one another, and distinguishes like elementsfrom one another. For example, in FIG. 1, there are twenty elements 110,whereas in FIG. 2, there are thirteen elements 210. Nevertheless, thelast element 110 is referenced by 110N, and the last element 210 isreferenced by 210N; that is, both the last element 110 and the lastelement 210 are referenced by the same letter, even though there aretwenty elements 110 and thirteen elements 210. Furthermore, the lastletter used in this numbering scheme does not imply that total number ofelements corresponds to the order of this letter in the alphabet. Forexample, in FIG. 1, the last element 110 is referenced by 110N, and N isthe fourteenth letter of the alphabet; nevertheless, there are twentyelements 110, not fourteen, in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

As noted in the background section, container-based data centers havebecome increasingly popular. A typical container may be roughly twentyor forty feet in length, and have a width of roughly eight feet. Acontainer having these dimensions corresponds to a standard shippingcontainer that can be placed on a trailer and pulled by a truck, or thatcan be placed on a cargo car and pulled by a train.

Typically, the square footage of a container is dedicated to two things.First, some of the square footage is dedicated to the installation ofracks, such as equipment racks or data racks, and which may extend fromsubstantially the floor of the container to substantially the ceiling ofthe container. Electronic equipment is then installed within the racks.Second, other square footage of the container is dedicated to floorspace a user can walk on to access and service the equipment installedon the racks.

The greater the amount of space within a container that can be dedicatedto the installation of racks, the more equipment that can be installedwithin the container. This means that when a given number of servercomputing devices are needed, for example, a lesser number of containersare needed. Because the space at which the containers can be located maybe at a premium, it is desirable to have the least number of containerspossible to provide a given number of server computing devices.Furthermore, minimizing the number of containers needed reduces totalcost, both in container acquisition and in container upkeep. Containeracquisition costs are reduced because there are fewer containers topurchase. Container upkeep costs are likewise reduced because there arefewer containers to operationally maintain.

Existing configurations of racks within a container, however, wastesignificant amounts of space so that a user can access and service theequipment installed on the racks. FIGS. 1 and 2 show two such existingapproaches, according to the prior art. A shipping container 100 has alength 102 and a width 104. An opening 106 at an end of the container100 along the width permits a user to enter the container 100, byopening a door 108 to the opening 106.

In FIG. 1, twenty racks 110A, 110B, . . . , 110N, collectively referredto as the racks 110, are placed side-to-side, length-wise, along andparallel to the length 102 of the shipping container 100. An aisle 112also runs along the length 102 of the container 100, so that equipmentinstalled within the racks 110 is user accessible. The fronts of theequipment installed within the racks 110 faces the aisle 112. The racks110 may be able to slide in unison across the width 104, so that theaisle 112 can be defined behind the racks 110 as well as in front of theracks 110 as is depicted in FIG. 1. In the prior art of FIG. 1, coolingof the equipment installed within the racks 110 is typically achieved byemploying heat exchangers installed above the racks 110, at or near theceiling of the shipping container 100.

In prior art similar to that of FIG. 1, there may two columns of racks110, one to the back of the aisle 112, as shown in FIG. 1, and anotherto the front of the aisle 112, which is not shown in FIG. 1. There maybe a heat exchanger positioned between each adjacent pair of racks 110.The equipment is installed within the racks 110 such that the backs ofthe equipment each face the aisle 112. Airflow is directed from thefront of the equipment through the rear of the equipment, and into theaisle 112. The heat exchanger positioned between each adjacent pair ofracks 110 draws the heated air exhausted by the equipment into the aisle112, and exhausts the resulting cooled air to the space between thefront of the equipment and the front or back of the container 100.

In FIG. 2, thirteen racks 210A, 210B, . . . , 210N, collectivelyreferred to as the racks 210 and including rack 214A, are placedfront-to-back, depth-wise, in a back column along and parallel to thelength 102 of the shipping container 100. Similarly, thirteen racks212A, 212B, . . . , 212N, collectively referred to as the racks 212 andincluding rack 214B, are placed back-to-front, depth-wise, in a frontcolumn along and parallel to the length 102 of the container 100. Thefronts of the equipment installed within the racks 210 face the right ofthe container 100, whereas the fronts of the equipment installed withinthe racks 212 face the left of the container 100. The aisle 112 runsalong the length of the container 100 between the front and the backcolumns.

Each rack 210 and 212 can slide into the aisle 112. For example, whenequipment installed within the rack 214 is to be accessed by a user, theuser slides the rack 214 into the aisle 112, as indicated by the arrow216. When the user is finished servicing this equipment, he or sheslides the rack 214 back, as also indicated by the arrow 216.

Cooling of the equipment within the racks 210 and 212 is typicallyachieved by having an airflow loop 218. The heat exchangers employed tocool the equipment within the racks 210 and 212 are fixed in place, anddo not slide with the racks 210 and 212 when the racks 210 and 212 areslid into the aisle 112. Therefore, for example, when the rack 214 ispulled into the aisle 112, the rack 214 is not cooled, because it isremoved from the airflow loop 218. It is said that cooling of theequipment installed on the rack 214 is interrupted.

In prior art similar to that of FIG. 2, racks 210 and 212 are installedto either side of an aisle 112, as in FIG. 2, but the racks 210 and 212cannot slide as they can in FIG. 2. In other similar prior art, someracks 210 and 212 may slide along the parallel to the aisle 112, andother racks 210 and 212 may slide perpendicular to the aisle 112 as inFIG. 2. In general, however, the number of racks 210 and 212 that aredisposed within the container 100 is similar to the number of racks 210and 212 that are disposed within the container 100 in the prior art ofFIG. 2.

Embodiments of the invention overcome the disadvantages associated withthe prior art that have been described in relation to FIGS. 1 and 2.First, embodiments of the invention provide for a configuration of rackswithin a shipping container that permits significantly more racks to beinstalled within the container, such that much more equipment can beinstalled in a given shipping container, as compared to FIGS. 1 and 2.Second, embodiments of the invention that employ racks that can slide donot have the racks slide into an aisle, and such that cooling is notinterrupted as it is in FIG. 2.

FIG. 3 shows a shipping container 300, according to an embodiment of theinvention. The container 300 has a length 302 and a width 304. Thelength 302 may be roughly twenty or forty feet in one embodiment,whereas the width 304 may be roughly eight feet. The shipping container300 has long sides 334 and 336 parallel to the length 302 and oppositeto one another, and ends 330 and 332 parallel to the width 304 andopposite to one another. The long side 336 includes openings 312A, 312B,. . . , 312J, which are collectively referred to as the openings 312 andthat include opening 346. The long side 334 includes openings 316A,316B, . . . , 316K, which are collectively referred to as openings 316.There may be doors 314A, 314B, . . . , 314J, which are collectivelyreferred to as the doors 314, and which correspond to the openings 312.Likewise, there may be doors 318A, 318B, . . . , 318K, which arecollectively referred to as the doors 318, and which correspond to theopenings 316.

The openings 312A and 312J are specifically referred to as end openingsthat are closest to the ends 330 and 332. For instance, the opening 312Ais closest to the end 330, and the opening 312J is closest to the end332. In the example of FIG. 3, each of the end openings are one of theopenings 312. However, in other embodiments, each of the end openingsmay be one of the openings 316, or one end opening may be an opening 312and the other end opening may be an opening 316.

Furthermore, the openings 312 and 316 are staggered in relation to oneanother along the length 302 of the container 300. In the embodiment ofFIG. 3, for instance, there is an opening 316 between each adjacent pairof openings 312 along the length 302 of the container 300, and there isan opening 312 between each adjacent pair of openings 316 along thelength 302 of the container 300. For example, the opening 316A isbetween the openings 312A and 312B along the length 302 of the container300. In other embodiments, the openings 312 and 316 may be staggered inrelation to one another along the length 302 of the container 300 indifferent ways. As just one example, there may be two openings 316between each adjacent pair of two openings 312, and two openings 312between each adjacent pair of two openings 316, along the length 302 ofthe container 300.

The container 300 also includes racks 306A, 306B, . . . , 306N, whichare collectively referred to as the racks 306 and that include the racks326 and 328. The racks 306 are organized over a number of rows 308A,308B, 308C, 308D, 308E, 308F, 308G, . . . , 308M, which are collectivelyreferred to as the rows 308, and over a number of columns 310A, 310B,310C, and 310D, which are collectively referred to as the columns 310.There are four racks 306 in each row 308 in the embodiment of FIG. 3.Furthermore, in the embodiment of FIG. 3, there are twelve rows 308, butin other embodiments, there may be different numbers of rows 308, suchas thirteen rows 308 in one embodiment, depending on the size of theracks 306.

The rack 326 is representative of all the racks 306 within the columns310A and 310B. The rack 326 has a length 354 and a depth 356. The rack326 includes a back end 350A and a front end 350B, which arecollectively referred to as the ends 350, as well as sides 352A and352B, which are collectively referred to as the sides 352. A heatexchanger 338 and equipment 340 are installed within the rack 326. Theheat exchanger 338 may be active, pulling hot air from the equipment 340from the right and exhausts cooled air to the left, as indicated by thearrow 348. Alternatively, the heat exchanger 338 may be passive, relyingon the equipment 340 to move air through the exchanger 338. In eithercase, the heat exchanger 338 cools the air exhausted by the equipment340. The heat exchanger may be a heat pump, an air conditioner, oranother type of mechanism that cools air that passes through themechanism.

The heat exchanger 338 in one embodiment preferably removes all the heatintroduced into the air by the equipment 340. For example, if the airentering the equipment 340 has a temperature of X degrees and the airexiting the equipment 340 has a temperature of Y degrees that is greaterthan X, the air entering the heat exchanger 338 is also at a temperatureof Y degrees. Therefore, the air exiting the heat exchanger 338 is at atemperature no greater than X degrees. That is, the heat exchanger 338is able to cool the air at least by Y minus X degrees, for a maximumpotential temperature of Y degrees at which air exits the equipment 340.

The rack 328 is representative of all the racks within the columns 310Cand 310D. The rack 328 has a length 358, which is equal to the length354 of the rack 326, and a depth 360, which is equal to the depth 356 ofthe rack 326. The rack 328 includes a front end 362A and a back end362B, which are collectively referred to as the ends 362, as well assides 364A and 364B, which are collectively referred to as the sides364. A heat exchanger 342 and equipment 344 are installed within therack 328. If the heat exchanger 342 is active, the exchanger 342 pullshot air from the equipment 344 from the left and exhausts cooled air tothe right, as indicated by the arrow 366. If the heat exchanger 342 ispassive, the exchanger 342 relies on the equipment 344 to move airthrough the exchanger 342. In either case, the heat exchanger 342 coolsthe air exhausted by the equipment 344. The heat exchanger may be a heatpump, an air conditioner, or another type of mechanism that cools airthat passes through the mechanism. As with the heat exchanger 338, theheat exchanger 342 in one embodiment preferably removes all the heatintroduced into the air by the equipment 344.

Each row 308 of the container 300 in the embodiment of FIG. 3 includesfour racks 306 positioned side-to-side, length-wise, and parallel to thewidth 304, such that there are four columns 310. More generally, eachrow 308 includes as many of the racks 306 positioned side-side,length-wise, and parallel to the width 304 of the container 300 as canfit within the container 300, such that there may be greater or less ofthe columns 310 than four columns 310. The racks 306 of each row 308 areslidable in unison back and forth along the length 302 of the container300, between a first position at which the racks 306 block one of theopenings 312 and 316 and a second position at which the racks 306 blockthe opening 312 or 316 that is closest to the opening that the racks 306block in the first position.

For example, the racks 306 of the row 308A are slidable in unison backand forth parallel to the length 302 of the container 300, as indicatedby the arrow 322. In a first position, the racks 306 of the row 308Ablock the opening 312A, as is specifically depicted in FIG. 3. In asecond position, the racks 306 of the row 308A block the opening 316A,which is not shown in FIG. 3. As another example, the racks 306 of therow 308M are also slidable in unison back and forth parallel to thelength 302 of the container 300, as indicated by the arrow 324. In afirst position, the racks 306 of the row 308M block the opening 312J, asis specifically depicted in FIG. 3. In a second position, the racks 306of the row 308M block the opening 316K, which is not shown in FIG. 3.

At any given time, all of the openings 312 and 316 are blocked by therows 308 of racks 306 except for a given opening, such as one givenopening in the embodiment of FIG. 3, which provides user access to agiven aisle within the container 300 that is parallel to the width 304of the container 300. In the example of FIG. 3, the opening 346 is notblocked by any row 308 of racks 306, which provides user access to givenaisle 320 within the container 300. As such, the user has access to theequipment of the two racks 306 that are within the row 308F and thecolumns 310A and 310B, and to the equipment of the two racks 306 thatare within the row 308G and the columns 310C and 310C. Furthermore, theuser has access to the heat exchangers of the two racks 306 that arewithin the row 308F and the columns 310C and 310D, and to the heatexchangers of the two racks 306 that are within the row 308G and thecolumns 310A and 310B.

It is noted that in general, there can be as many rows 308 parallel tothe length 302 of the container 300 that can fit within the container300, minus one, where two further considerations are taken into account.The first consideration is to provide adequate space at the ends 330 and332 of the container 300 for an airflow loop to be closed, which isdescribed in detail later in the detailed description. In oneembodiment, the space at each end 330 and 332 can be equal to the length354 and 358. The second consideration is to ensure that the aisle 320that can be created is sufficient in size to permit a person to enterthe aisle 320 to service the equipment installed on the racks to eitherside of the aisle 320. In one embodiment, then, the number of rows 308may be equal to the number of rows 308 parallel to the length 302 of thecontainer 300 that can fit within the container 300, minus one.

Which of the openings 312 and 316 is the given opening that is notblocked by any of the rows 308 to provide user access to a correspondingaisle within the container 300 that is parallel to the width 304 of thecontainer 300 changes, depending on where the rows 308 of the racks 306have been slid along the length 302 of the container 300. As such, eachof the openings 312 and 316 can be the given opening that is not blockedby any of the rows 308 at any given time. The user slides the rows 308of the racks 306 as needed to access a desired opening 312 or 316. Forinstance, based on which equipment or heat exchanger of which rack 306the user has to access, the user suitably slides the rows 308 of theracks 306 so that an aisle is created that provides access to thisequipment or heat exchanger. The user then enters the openingcorresponding to this aisle.

It is noted that in the specific example of FIG. 3, the racks 306 withintwo rows 308F and 308G are currently user accessible, because theopening 346 is user accessible and permits a user to enter thecorresponding aisle 320. In general, where the given opening that iscurrently user accessible to permit a user to enter a correspondingaisle is any of the openings 312 and 316 except for the end openings312A and 312J, the user is permitted to access the racks 306 within tworows 308 that are to either side of the aisle that has been created. Theracks 306 of all other rows 308 are user inaccessible. For example, ifthe opening 316B were user accessible, then the user would be permittedto enter the corresponding aisle and access the racks 306 within therows 308C and 308D. The racks 306 within all other rows 308 except forthe rows 308C and 308D would in this case be user inaccessible.

By comparison, where the given opening that is currently user accessibleto permit a user to enter a corresponding aisle is one of the endopenings 312A and 312J, the user is permitted to access the racks 306within just one row 308 to one side of the given aisle that has beencreated. The racks 306 of all other rows 308 are user inaccessible. FIG.4 shows the shipping container 300 in such a scenario, according to anembodiment of the invention. As in FIG. 3, the container 300 has alength 302, a width 304, long sides 334 and 336, ends 330 and 332, andopenings 312 and 316. The racks 306 are organized over a number of rows308 and columns 310. The doors 314 and 318 of FIG. 3 are not shown inFIG. 4 for illustrative convenience.

In FIG. 4, all of the rows 308 of racks 306 have been moved towards theend 332 of the container 300. As such, the end opening 312A isaccessible, and defines an aisle 402 in which the user to enter. Becausethe opening 312A is an end opening, just the one row 308A of racks 306to the right of the aisle 402 is accessible to the user. This is becausethere is no row 308 of racks 306 to the left of the aisle 402. The racks306 of all other rows 308 are thus user inaccessible. Similarly, inanother scenario, where all of the rows 308 of racks 306 are movedtowards the end 330 of the container 300, the end opening 312J would beaccessible, and just one row 308M to the left of the defined aisle wouldbe accessible to the user.

In the configuration of FIGS. 3 and 4 that has been described, there areforty-eight racks 306 organized over twelve rows 308 and four columns310. By comparison, in the prior art configuration of FIG. 1, there arejust twenty similarly sized racks 110, and in the prior artconfiguration of FIG. 2, there are twenty-six similarly sized racks 210and 212. Therefore, the configuration of FIGS. 3 and 4 represents anincrease in rack capacity and in rack density of 140% in relation toFIG. 1, and of nearly 85% in relation to FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of a representative rack 500, accordingto an embodiment of the invention. The rack 500 is representative of theracks 306 that have been described. The rack 500 has a length 502corresponding to the lengths 354 and 358 of the racks 326 and 328 ofFIG. 3, a depth 504 corresponding to the depths 356 and 360 of the racks326 and 328, and a height 506.

The length 502 may be a standard rack length (or width) of nineteeninches. Alternatively, the length 502 may be other than nineteen inches,such as forty-seven inches in the case of an IDATAPLEX rack, whereIDATAPLEX is a trademark of International Business Machines Corp., ofArmonk, N.Y. The depth 504 is variable, and in the example of FIG. 5 maybe twenty-four inches. The height 506 of the rack 500 may correspondsubstantially to the height of the shipping container 300 itself, fromsubstantially the floor of the container 300 to substantially theceiling of the container 300, minus any space needed for ductwork andother equipment that may be present at the top or the bottom of thecontainer 300. For simplicity, then, the height 506 of the rack 500 inFIG. 5 may be considered as being substantially equal, if not identical,to the height of the container 300. In one embodiment, the height of theshipping container 300 is eight feet, six inches.

The rack 500 has a front end 508 corresponding to the front ends 350Band 362A of the racks 326 and 328 of FIG. 3, and a back end 510corresponding to the back ends 350A and 362B of the racks 326 and 328.The rack 500 further has sides 516 and 518 corresponding to the sides352B and 352A, respectively, of the rack 326, and to the sides 364A and364B, respectively of the rack 328. The rack 500 further has a top 512and a bottom 514.

The rack 500 is receptive to the installation of electronic equipmentalong the height 506 of the rack 500 (and parallel to the height of thecontainer 300), within the front end 508. As depicted in FIG. 5, asingle piece of equipment 520 has been installed within the rack 500.Other equipment, however, can be stacked below and above the piece ofequipment 520. Such equipment and the equipment 520 correspond to theequipment 340 and 344 of the racks 326 and 328 of FIG. 3. Equipment istypically specified as occupying a number of standard rack heights,where a standard rack height is 1.75 inches and is referred to as a “U”.For example, a 4U server occupies 4×1.75 inches=7 inches of rack height,whereas a 1U server occupies just 1.75 inches of rack height.

The rack 500 is also receptive to a heat exchanger 522, whichcorresponds to the heat exchangers 338 and 342 of the racks 326 and 328of FIG. 3. The heat exchanger 522 cools hot air exhausted from theequipment installed within the rack 500, as indicated by the arrow 524,such that the air exiting the exchanger 522 has been cooled. In theembodiment of FIG. 5, the heat exchanger 522 extends from side 516 toside 518, and from top 512 to bottom 514, of the rack 500, although inother embodiments, this may not be the case.

Whereas FIGS. 3 and 4 have showed the shipping container 300 over itslength 302 and its width 304, FIG. 6 shows the container 300 over itswidth 304 and the height 506, according to an embodiment of theinvention. A representative row 602 of the racks 306 is specificallydepicted in FIG. 6. The row 602 is representative of the rows 308 ofracks 306 that have been described. The back end 510 of each rack 306 inthe columns 310C and 310D can be seen, as can the front end 508 of eachrack 306 in the columns 310A and 310B.

In FIG. 6, the height of the shipping container 300 is implicitly theheight 506 of the racks 306. However, as noted above in relation to FIG.5, the height 506 of the racks 306 may in actuality correspondsubstantially to the height of the container 300 itself, fromsubstantially the floor of the container 300 to substantially theceiling of the container 300, minus any space needed for ductwork andother equipment that may be present at the top or the bottom of thecontainer 300. For simplicity, then, the height 506 of the rack 300 inFIG. 6 may be considered as being substantially equal, if not identical,to the height of the container 300.

The racks 306 of the row 602 can be attached to one another. Forexample, rivets 604A, 604B, . . . , 604N, collectively referred to asthe rivets 604, may each be used to attach the sides of two adjacentracks 306 together within the row 602. Other fastening and/or attachmentmechanisms may be used as well, in addition to and/or in lieu of therivets 604. The rivets 604 and/or other attachment mechanisms attach theracks 306 of the row 602 together, so that the racks 306 of the row 602move in unison as a single entity.

The racks 306 of the row 602 are able to slide in unison particularlyinto and out of the plane of FIG. 6. In one embodiment, the row 602 ofracks 306 is able to slide as follows. Tracks 608A, 608B, . . . , 608M,collectively referred to as the tracks 608, are attached to the floor ofthe shipping container 300. The bottoms of the racks 306 have grooves606A, 606B, . . . , 606M, collectively referred to as the grooves 606,that corresponding to these tracks. There may be at least one groove 606for each rack 306, such as two grooves 606 for each rack 306 as in theexample of FIG. 6. The tracks 608 fit into the grooves 606, permittingthe racks 306 of the row 602 to slide into and out of the plane of FIG.6.

The tracks 608 and the grooves 606 may alternatively be located on thetop instead of on the bottom as depicted in FIG. 6. In anotherembodiment, the tracks 608 and the grooves 606 may be located both onthe top and the bottom. Furthermore, the grooves 606 may alternativelybe located within the container 300 and the tracks may be located on theracks 306. Finally, other mechanisms that permit the racks 306 of therow 602 to slide in unison into and out of the plane of FIG. 6 may beemployed, in addition to or in lieu of tracks and grooves.

FIG. 7 shows how the airflow within the shipping container 300 is notaffected by the creation of an aisle at an end of the container 300,according to an embodiment of the invention. The container in FIG. 7includes the racks 306, including racks 326 and 328, organized over therows 308 and the columns 310, as before. An aisle 802 has been definedto the right of the racks 306 of the row 308M, between the row 308M andthe end 332 of the container 300. The openings 312 and the doors 314 arenot depicted in FIG. 7 for illustrative convenience.

As has been described above, the racks 306 of the columns 310A and310B—i.e., the racks 306 closer to the long side 334 than to the longside 336 of the container 300—have their heat exchangers positioned suchthat air moves therethrough towards the end 330 of the container 300.For example, the rack 326 has the heat exchanger 338 through which airis moved towards the end 330. Similarly, the racks 306 of the columns310C and 310D—i.e., the racks 306 closer to the long side 336 than tothe long side 334 of the container 300—have their heat exchangerspositioned such that air moves therethrough towards the end 332 of thecontainer 300. For example, the rack 328 has the heat exchanger 342through which air is moved towards the end 332. The racks 306 of thecolumns 310A and 310B thus have heat exchangers that are closer to thelong side 334 than the heat exchangers of the racks 306 of the columns310C and 310D are. Similarly, the racks 306 of the columns 310C and 310Dhave heat exchangers that are closer to the long side 336 than the heatexchangers of the racks 306 of the columns 310A and 310B are.

A single airflow loop 804 resulting from air moving through the heatexchangers of the racks 306 are defined in the case where an aisle, suchas the aisle 802, is defined at an end of the container 300, such as theend 332. In the airflow loop 804, the air moves through the heatexchangers of the racks 306 in the columns 310A and 310B towards the end330 of the container 300. When the air reaches the end 330, there is asufficient space 702 so that the air can turn 180 degrees, at whichpoint the air moves through the heat exchangers of the racks in thecolumns 310C and 310D towards the end 332. It is noted in this respectthat the space 702 may be larger than is actually depicted in FIG. 7.When the air reaches the aisle 802, the air turns 180 degrees, at whichpoint the air again moves through the heat exchangers of the racks 306in the columns 310A and 310B, completing the airflow loop 804. As such,just one airflow loop 804 is defined in FIG. 7.

FIG. 8 shows how the airflow within the shipping container 300 is notaffected by the creation of an aisle between two rows, according to anembodiment of the invention. The container 300 in FIG. 8 includes theracks 306, including racks 326 and 328, organized over the rows 308 andthe columns 310, as before. An aisle 320 has been defined between theracks 306 of the row 308F, including the rack 326, and the racks 306 ofthe row 308G, including the rack 328. The openings 312 and the doors 314are not depicted in FIG. 8 for illustrative convenience.

As has been described above, the racks 306 of the columns 310A and310B—i.e., the racks 306 closer to the long side 334 than to the longside 336 of the container 300—have their heat exchangers positioned suchthat the air cooled by these exchangers is directed towards the end 330of the container 300. For example, the rack 326 has the heat exchanger338 that directs air towards the end 330. Similarly, the racks 306 ofthe columns 310C and 310D—i.e., the racks 306 closer to the long side336 than to the long side 334 of the container 300—have their heatexchangers positioned such that air cooled by these exchangers isdirected towards the end 332 of the container 300. For example, the rack328 has the heat exchanger 342 that directs air towards the end 332. Theracks 306 of the columns 310A and 310B thus have heat exchangers thatare closer to the long side 334 than the heat exchangers of the racks306 of the columns 310C and 310D are. Similarly, the racks 306 of thecolumns 310C and 310D have heat exchangers that are closer to the longside 336 than the heat exchangers of the racks 306 of the columns 310Aand 310B are.

Two idealized airflow loops 706 and 708 resulting from air moved throughthe heat exchangers of the racks 306 are defined in the case where anaisle, such as the aisle 320, is defined between two rows of racks 306,such as between the rows 308F and 308G. In the airflow loop 706, the airis moved through the heat exchangers of the racks 306 to the left of theaisle 320 and in the columns 310A and 310B towards the end 330 of thecontainer 300. When the air reaches the end 330, there is a sufficientspace 702 so that the air can turn 180 degrees, at which point the airis moved through the heat exchangers of the racks 306 to the left of theaisle 320 and in the columns 310C and 310D towards the end 332. As notedabove in relation to FIG. 7, in actuality the space 702 may be largerthan is depicted in FIG. 8. However, when the air reaches the aisle 320,the air again turns 180 degrees, at which point the air is again movedthrough the heat exchangers of the racks 306 to the left of the aisle320 and in the columns 310A and 310B, completing the airflow loop 706.As such, the airflow loop 706 is defined to the left of the aisle 320.

In the airflow loop 708, the air is moved through the heat exchangers ofthe racks 306 to the right of the aisle 320 and in the columns 310C and310D towards the end 332. When the air reaches the end 332, there isagain a sufficient space 704 so that the air can turn 180 degrees, atwhich point the air is moved through heat exchangers of the racks 306 tothe right of the aisle 320 and in the columns 310A and 310B towards theend 330. Like the space 702, the space 704 may be larger than isdepicted in FIG. 8. However, when the air reaches the aisle 320, the airagain turns 180 degrees, at which point the air is again moved throughthe heat exchangers of the racks 306 to the right of the aisle 320 andin the columns 310C and 310D, completing the airflow loop 708. As such,the airflow loop 708 is defined to the right of the aisle 320.

The airflow loops 706 and 708 are idealized in the sense that air mayalso move across the aisle 320. For example, the airflow loop 706 isdepicted in FIG. 8 such that after air exits the racks 306 within therow 308F and within the columns 310C and 310D, the air enters the racks306 within the row 308F and within the columns 310A and 310B. However,in actuality, some of the air exiting the racks 306 within the row 308Fand within the columns 310C and 310D may instead move across the aisle320 and enter the racks 306 within the row 308G and within the columns310C and 310D. In this respect, then, the airflow loop 706 depicted inFIG. 8 is an idealized airflow loop.

Similarly, the airflow loop 708 is depicted in FIG. 8 such that afterair exits the racks 306 within the row 308G and within the columns 310Aand 310B, the air enters the racks 306 within the row 308G and withinthe columns 310C and 310D. However, in actuality, some of the airexiting the racks 306 within the row 308G and within the columns 310Aand 310B may instead move across the aisle 320 and enter the racks 306within the row 308F and within the columns 310A and 310B. In thisrespect, then, the airflow loop 708 depicted in FIG. 8 is also anidealized airflow loop.

FIGS. 7 and 8 thus demonstrate that regardless of how an aisle iscreated or defined within the shipping container 300, airflow is notinterrupted in such a way as to interrupt cooling of the equipmentinstalled within the racks 306. For example, if from FIG. 7 the racks306 in the rows 308A, 308B, 308C, 308D, 308E, and 308F are moved to theleft to result in FIG. 8, the single airflow loop 804 is simply splitinto two (idealized) airflow loops 706 and 708. Cooling of the equipmentinstalled within the racks 306 is not affected by the destruction of theaisle 802 and the creation of the aisle 320 in transitioning from FIG. 7to FIG. 8. The two (idealized) airflow loops 706 and 708 in FIG. 8provide for sufficient cooling of the equipment installed within theracks 306, no different than the single airflow loop 804 of FIG. 7 does.

In this respect, the embodiments of FIGS. 7 and 8 differ from that ofthe prior art of FIG. 2, in which the sliding of the racks 214 into theaisle 112 interrupts the airflow and thus interrupts cooling of theequipment installed within the racks 210 and/or 214. By comparison, inthe embodiments of FIGS. 7 and 8, the racks 306 are never slid into anaisle. Rather the racks 306 are slid to create an aisle, such as theaisle 320 in FIG. 8 or the aisle 802 in FIG. 7. The racks 306 neverleave the airflow. In FIG. 8, all the racks 306 are in either the(idealized) airflow loop 706 or 708, whereas in FIG. 7, all the racks306 are in the airflow loop 804.

FIG. 9 shows a shipping container 300, according to a differentembodiment of the invention than that of FIG. 3. The container 300 ofFIG. 9 still has a length 302 and a width 304. The length 302 may againbe roughly twenty or forty feet in one embodiment, whereas the width 304may again be roughly eight feet. The shipping container 300 has longsides 334 and 336 parallel to the length 302 and opposite to oneanother, and ends 330 and 332 parallel to the width 304 and opposite toone another.

In the embodiment of FIG. 9, the long side 334 includes openings 902A,902B, . . . , 902J, which are collectively referred to as the openings902, as well as openings 904A, 904B, . . . , 904K, which arecollectively referred to as the openings 904. By comparison, the longside 336 does not have any openings. However, in a different embodiment,the long side 336 may have all the openings 902 and 904, such that thelong side 334 does not have any. Alternatively, some openings 902 and904 may be in the long side 336, and other openings 902 and 904 may bein the long side 334. The openings 902 can have corresponding doors906A, 906B, . . . , 906J, which are collectively referred to as thedoors 906, whereas the openings 904 can have corresponding doors 908A,908B, . . . , 908K, which are collectively referred to as the doors 908.

The container 900 of FIG. 9 still includes racks 306A, 306B, . . . ,306N, which are collectively referred to as the racks 306 and thatinclude the racks 326 and 328. The racks 306 are organized over a numberof rows 308A, 308B, 308C, 308D, 308E, 308F, and 308G, which arecollectively referred to as the rows 308, and over a number of columns310A, 310B, 310C, and 310D, which are collectively referred to as thecolumns 310. There are four racks 306 in each row 308 in the embodimentof FIG. 9. Furthermore, in the embodiment of FIG. 9, there are sevenrows 308, but in other embodiments, there may be different numbers ofrows 308, such as nine rows, depending on the size of the racks 306 andthe desired spacing between adjacent rows 308.

The rack 326 is representative of all the racks 306 within the rows308A, 308C, 308E, and 308G. As has been described in relation to FIG. 3,a heat exchanger 338 and equipment 340 are installed within the rack326. Air moves through the heat exchanger 338 from the right to theleft. Thus, all the racks 306 within the rows 308A, 308C, 308E, and 308Ghave heat exchangers through which air moves from the right to the leftin FIG. 9.

The rack 328 is representative of all the racks 306 within the rows308B, 308D, and 308F. As has been described in relation to FIG. 3, aheat exchanger 342 and equipment 344 are installed within the rack 328.Air moves through the heat exchanger 342 from the left the right. Thus,all the racks 306 within the rows 308B, 308D, and 308F have heatexchangers through which air moves from the left to the right in FIG. 9.

Therefore, the air moves through the heat exchangers of the racks 306within the rows 308A, 308C, 308E, and 308G towards the end 330 of thecontainer 300. It can thus be said that these heat exchangers areinstalled on the racks 306 of every other row 308 beginning with the row308A, which is the closest row 308 to the end 330. By comparison, theair moves through the heat exchangers of the racks 306 within the rows308B, 308D, and 308F towards the end 332 of the container 300. It canthus also be said that these heat exchangers are installed on the racks306 of every other row 308 beginning with the row 308B, which is theclosest row 308 to the row 308A.

Each row 308 of the container 300 in the embodiment of FIG. 3 includesfour racks 306 positioned side-to-side, length-wise, and parallel to thewidth 304, such that there are four columns 310. More generally, eachrow 308 includes as many of the racks 306 positioned side-side,length-wise, and parallel to the width 304 of the container 300 as canfit within the container 300, such that there may be greater or less ofthe columns 310 than four columns 310. The racks 306 of each row 308 arestationary and fixed in FIG. 9, and are not slidable as in FIG. 3.

Specifically, the racks 306 are positioned within the container 300 inFIG. 9 to define two different types of aisles. The aisles to which userentry is gained via the openings 902, such as the aisle 910 between therows 308B and 308C, permit a user to access and service the heatexchangers of the racks 306 of one or two rows 308. The aisles to whichuser entry is gained via the openings 904, such as the aisle 912 betweenthe rows 308E and 308F, permit a user to access and service theequipment of the racks 306 of one or two rows 308. As such, each side ofeach row 308 of racks 306 is user accessible by one of these aislesthrough a corresponding opening 902 or 904.

In the configuration of FIG. 9 that has been described, there aretwenty-eight racks 306 organized over seven rows 308 and four columns310. By comparison, in the prior art configuration of FIG. 1, there arejust twenty similarly sized racks 110, and in the prior artconfiguration of FIG. 2, there are twenty-six similarly sized racks 210and 212. Therefore, the configuration of FIG. 9 represents an increasein rack capacity and in rack density of 40% in relation to FIG. 1 and ofnearly 8% in relation to FIG. 2.

Because the racks 306 in the embodiment of FIG. 9 are stationary and arenot movable, airflow that is responsible for cooling of the equipmentwithin the racks 306 cannot be interrupted. Therefore, once a sufficientcooling design of the equipment within the racks 306 has been provided,such cooling is not interrupted when servicing the equipment within theracks 306. This is in comparison to the prior art of FIG. 2, in whichthe sliding of the racks 214 into the aisle 112 interrupts the airflowand thus interrupts cooling of the equipment installed within the racks210 and/or 214.

In conclusion, FIG. 10 shows a method 1000, according to an embodimentof the invention. The method 1000 is for using the shipping container300, such as that of FIG. 3 or that of FIG. 9. A user accesses anopening on one of the long sides 334 and 336 of the container 300, whichleads to an aisle at which desired racks 306 can be accessed (1002). Inthe embodiment of FIG. 3, for instance, the user may first slide one ormore of the rows 308 of the racks along the length 302 of the container300 in order to create the desired aisle corresponding to this opening(1004).

Thereafter, the user enters the aisle that corresponds to the opening(1006). By entering the aisle, the user can then access the racks 306located to one or more sides of the aisle (1008). By accessing theseracks 306, the user thus can service the equipment and/or the heatexchangers installed within the racks 306 (1010), as are accessible fromthe aisle that the user has entered.

It is finally noted that, although specific embodiments have beenillustrated and described herein, it will be appreciated by those ofordinary skill in the art that any arrangement that is calculated toachieve the same purpose may be substituted for the specific embodimentsshown. Other applications and uses of embodiments of the invention,besides those described herein, are amenable to at least someembodiments. This application is intended to cover any adaptations orvariations of the present invention. Therefore, it is manifestlyintended that this invention be limited only by the claims andequivalents thereof.

We claim:
 1. A system comprising: a container having a width, a lengthgreater than the width, and a height, the container having a first longside and a second long side parallel to the length; a plurality of racksorganized in rows parallel to the width of the container, each of theplurality of racks receptive to installation of electronic equipmentalong a height of each rack parallel to the height of the container; aplurality of heat exchangers, each heat exchanger installed on one ofthe racks to cool air exhausted by any of the electronic equipmentinstalled on the one of the racks; a plurality of first openings withinthe first long side of the container and a plurality of second openingswithin the second long side of the container; and a plurality of doorscorresponding to the first and second openings, wherein the containercomprises a first end parallel to the width of the container and asecond end opposite the first end, wherein the heat exchangers comprise:a plurality of first heat exchangers to direct the air towards the firstend of the container; and, a plurality of second heat exchangers todirect the air towards the second end of the container, wherein thefirst heat exchangers are closer to the first long side of the containerthan the second heat exchangers are, and the second heat exchangers arecloser to the second long side of the container than the first heatexchangers are; and wherein the plurality of doors provide access to theaisles aligned with the first and second openings, the doors selectivelyopened to access, maintain, and service the heat exchangers and theelectronic equipment installed within the racks.
 2. The system of claim1, wherein the racks of each row are slidable in unison back and forthalong the length of the container between a first position at which theracks block one of the first openings and a second position at which theracks block one of the second openings closest to the one of the firstopenings.
 3. The system of claim 2, wherein all of the first and thesecond openings except for a given opening are blocked by the rows ofthe racks at any given time, such that the given opening provides useraccess to a given aisle of the aisles within the container.
 4. Thesystem of claim 3, wherein which of the first and the second openings isthe given opening changes depending on where the racks of each row havebeen slid along the length of the container, where each of the first andthe second openings can be the given opening at any given time.
 5. Thesystem of claim 3, wherein the first openings and the second openingscomprise: a first end opening that is closest to the first end of thecontainer; and, a second end opening that is closest to the second endof the container, wherein where the given opening is any of the firstand the second openings except for the first and the second endopenings, the given aisle provides user access to the racks of two rowsof the rows to either side of the given aisle such that the racks of allrows other than the two rows to either side of the given aisle are userinaccessible, and a total of two airflow loops are defined within thecontainer, a first airflow loop of the two airflow loops defined to afirst side of the given aisle, and a second airflow loop of the twoairflow loops defined to a second side of the given aisle opposite thefirst side.
 6. The system of claim 3, wherein the first openings and thesecond openings comprise: a first end opening that is closest to thefirst end of the container; and, a second end opening that is closest tothe second end of the container, wherein where the given opening is oneof the first and the second end openings, the given aisle provides useraccess to the racks of just one row of the rows to one side of the givenaisle such that that the racks of all rows other than the one row to theone side of the given aisle are user inaccessible, and a single airflowloop is defined within the container to a side of the given aisle atwhich all the racks are currently positioned.
 7. The system of claim 1,wherein the racks of each row of the rows are stationary and cannotmove, and the racks are positioned within the container to define aplurality of aisles aligned with the plurality of openings, such thateach side of each row is user accessible by one of the aisles through acorresponding one of the openings, wherein the heat exchangers comprise:a plurality of first heat exchangers to direct air towards the first endof the container; and, a plurality of second heat exchangers to directair towards the second end of the container, wherein the first heatexchangers are installed on the racks of every other row beginning witha first row closest to one of the first and the second ends of thecontainer, and the second heat exchangers are installed on the racks ofevery other row beginning with a second rack closest to the first rack.8. The system of claim 1, further comprising the electronic equipmentinstalled in each rack of the plurality of racks.
 9. A systemcomprising: a container having a width, a length greater than the width,and a height, the container having a first long side and a second longside parallel to the length; a plurality of racks organized in rowsparallel to the width of the container such that each row of the rowsincludes more than one rack of the plurality of racks, each rack of theplurality of racks receptive to installation of electronic equipmentalong a height of each rack parallel to the height of the container; aplurality of heat exchangers, each heat exchanger of the plurality ofheat exchangers installed within a different rack of the plurality ofracks; a plurality of openings within one or more of the first and thesecond long sides of the container, wherein the racks of each row arestationary and cannot move, and the racks are positioned within thecontainer to define a plurality of aisles, each aisle of the pluralityof aisles aligned with a corresponding opening of the plurality ofopenings, such that each side of each row is user accessible by one ofthe aisles through the corresponding one of the openings; and aplurality of doors corresponding to the openings, and providing accessto the aisles aligned with the openings, the doors selectively opened toaccess, maintain, and service the heat exchangers and the electronicequipment installed within the racks, wherein the aisles comprise: aplurality of first aisles into which the heat exchangers directlyexhaust air; and a plurality of second aisles into which none of theheat exchangers directly exhaust the air, wherein at least some of thefirst aisles each have a pair of the plurality of heat exchangersexhausting air thereinto, wherein at least some of the second aisles areeach defined by an adjacent pair of the rows, and wherein in a directionparallel to the length of the container, the at least some of the firstaisles are smaller in size than the at least some of the second aisles.10. A system comprising: a container having a width, a length greaterthan the width, and a height, the container having a first long side anda second long side parallel to the length; a plurality of racksorganized in rows parallel to the width of the container such that eachrow of the rows includes more than one rack of the plurality of racks,each rack of the plurality of racks receptive to installation ofelectronic equipment along a height of each rack parallel to the heightof the container; a plurality of heat exchangers, each heat exchanger ofthe plurality of heat exchangers installed within a different rack ofthe plurality of racks; a plurality of openings within one or more ofthe first and the second long sides of the container; and a plurality ofdoors corresponding to the openings, wherein the racks of each row arestationary and cannot move, and the racks are positioned within thecontainer to define a plurality of aisles, each aisle of the pluralityof aisles aligned with a corresponding opening of the plurality ofopenings, such that each side of each row is user accessible by one ofthe aisles through the corresponding one of the openings; and whereinthe plurality of doors provide access to the aisles aligned with theopenings, the doors selectively opened to access, maintain, and servicethe heat exchangers and the electronic equipment installed within theracks.
 11. The system of claim 10, wherein each row includes as many ofthe racks positioned side-to-side, length-wise, and parallel to thewidth of the container as can fit within the container.
 12. The systemof claim 10, wherein the openings comprise a plurality of first openingswithin the first long side of the container and a plurality of secondopenings within the second long side of the container.
 13. The system ofclaim 10, wherein the heat exchangers comprise: a plurality of firstheat exchangers that exhaust air towards a first end of the container;and a plurality of second heat exchangers that exhaust air towards asecond end of the container opposite the first end.
 14. The system ofclaim 10, wherein at least some of the heat exchangers are organizedinto a plurality of pairs of heat exchangers, wherein each pair of theplurality of heat exchangers exhaust air into a different aisle of theplurality of aisles.
 15. The system of claim 10, wherein the aislescomprise: a plurality of first aisles into which the heat exchangersexhaust air; and a plurality of second aisles into which none of theheat exchangers directly exhaust the air.
 16. The system of claim 15,wherein the first aisles are staggered in relation to the second aisles.17. The system of claim 15, wherein the heat exchangers are accessibleonly from the first aisles, and the electronic equipment installedwithin the racks is accessible only from the second aisles.